ESMO – University of Warwick

Warwick ESMO are using SolidWorks to design and analyse mechanical structures related to the satellite’s electrical power supply system. This includes the solar array panel substructure and the battery casing.

SUCCESS METRICS

Powerful, yet user-friendly in operation

Very adaptable to wide range of applications

Excellent output in terms of data/graphics, etc.

Invaluable in terms of communicating detailed information between outgoing and incoming teams.

The Challenge

The University of Warwick has an integrated School of Engineering that allows multi-disciplinary engineering teams of 4th Year Master of Engineering students to undertake significant ‘real world’ engineering tasks. The ‘Warwick ESMO’ team was formed in 2006 to begin work on the design/build of the electrical power supply system (EPS) for ESA’s Moon Orbiting Satellite – now due for launch in 2014. Approximately 32 students (four 4th Yr teams) have now worked on this project. Each multidisciplinary team typically includes students from a mix of electrical, mechanical, systems, and manufacturing disciplines. Hence they are involved in the design, modeling, simulation, analysis, prototyping, and eventually building of all aspects of the EPS subsystems, including the solar arrays, power control and distribution units, battery / battery charging, and supply connection to subsystems, etc.
Our mechanical engineers on each team are required to produce designs for e.g. the solar array panel substructure, the battery casing, and the general satellite grounding system using a 3D CAD system. They are also required to produce e.g. stress and thermal analysis data related to these designs. The output of such design and analysis is highly important to the success of the chosen final design, and also provides vital information for other subsystem teams who require this information to determine their optimum design.

The Solution

SolidWorks has been the choice of mechanical engineering ESMO students at Warwick for completing the work described above.
With the assistance of training provided by SolidWorks engineers, the students have found SolidWorks to be user-friendly and reliable in providing the type of CAD facilities they require.

“The mechanical engineering students on the team seem to find SolidWorks suits their requirements for most analytical aspects of their work.”

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